[Insight-developers] GetMacro vs GetConstMacro

[Luis Ibanez]

Hi,

itkGetMacro( name, type ) generates:

virtual   type  GetName(void ) {
   return m_Name;
}


itkGetConstMacro(name, type ) generates:

virtual const type GetName( void ) const {
  return m_Name;
}


The second is maybe the one that we should
use most of the time, because in general a Get()
operation doesn't modify the object.

But, some compiles complain when they find

const int GetName()...   because 'const'
is meaninless when passing by value.

-----

Most of the time GetConstMacro is used to get
access to a member variable in the class. Could
we use a pass by reference instead of passing
by value in GetConstMacro ?

like:

itkGetConstMacro( name, type )

virtual const type & GetName(void ) const {
   return m_Name;
}


----

This is important for enforcing constness in other places.
for example, now it is not possible to call :

GetProgress()
GetNumberOfThreads();
GetNumberOfRequiredInputs();
GetNumberOfRequiredOutput();

on a const itkProcessObject  (that means: in any const filter)

-----------


Thanks


Luis